Bearing



June 13, 195o A H, HElNmCH 2,511,260

BEARING Filed Dec. 14, 1946 $1 Zo gll" 4 INVENToR.

AUGQST H HEINRICH knonuexs Patented June 13, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE BEARING V.application December 14, 1946, Serial No. 716,319

7 Claims.

This invention is concerned with a bearing adapted to form also a sealpreventing the passage of fluid under pressure about a shaft or rodmovably mounted in the bearing. The invention rcovers both the bearingitself and the method oi making the same.

An object of the invention is to provide such a sealing bearing soarranged as to be able to replenish sealing material worn away by thefriction of the movable member occupying the bearing. Another object isto provide for a ready adjustment of the bearing from time to time tomaintain effective sealing action. Another object is to provide for theeconomical manufacture of the bearing.

The characteristics of the invention will be further explained inconnection with the description of the preferred embodiment illustratedin the drawings.

In the drawings, Fig. l is a side elevation, partly broken away andsectioned, of my sealing bearing; Fig. 2 is an end view thereof; Fig. 3is an axial section illustrating the bearing mounted in place about areciprocating piston rod; Fig. 4 is a, fragmentary transverse sectionthrough the bearing, as indicated by the line 4 4 on Fig. 3.

In each of the gures, ID indicates the body of my bearing. This is anopen-ended barrel having a substantially cylindrical interior surface IIand a double conical exterior I2. That is to say, the exterior surfaceflares from each end of the barrel toward the central region thereof. Inthe interior of the barrel, I provide a set of circumferential grooves,three being shown, one at the center and one on each side thereof, suchgrooves being designated I3, and I4, I@ respectively. Likewise, on theexterior of the barrel I provide a set of circumferential grooves threebeing shown, comprising a centrally located groove I5 and two extremegrooves It, I6. Mounted in each of the grooves is sealing mate, rialforming a complete peripheral ring composed preferably of soft metalsimilar to babbitt. The interior rings 2U are cylindrical while theexterior ones 2l have their outer surface conical, the exposed surfacesof all of the rings thus conforming to those or the body.

The body of the barrel is longitudinally slotted by a series ofequi-distant slots I8 which extend alternately from opposite ends of thebarrel and terminate short of the other end. These longitudinal slotsare lled with shims 22 of comparatively soft material similar to that inthe circumferential grooves. As the slots extend 2 entirely through thebody wall, each shim is in lcornn'iunication with each of the annular'rings of packing material on the interior and exterior of the barrel.

Fig. 3 shows such a bearing as described mounted in a recess in acylinder head 3S. This head is held in suitable manner tightly on theend of a cylinder 3i. I have indicated by way of illustration throughbolts 32 for this purpose, holding the head on against a gasket 33.Within the cylinder is` a Ipiston 35 secured to a piston rod 36 whichextends outwardly through the bearing. A suitable passageway 3l throughthe cylinder lhead provides for the intake or discharge of fluid in thespace between the piston and head, this showing being intended to beillustrative of any arrangement of passages.

The recess in the cylinder head 3d which the bearing occupies is formedin its inner portion as a frustum of a cone, so that the bearing mayseat snugly in it. Then beyond such conical surface the recess isenlarged into a cylindrical lportion 38 to receive a member forcompressing the bearing.

The compressing member, as shown at 40, in Fig. 3, comprises a sleeveportion l, having a conical interior and a cylindrical exterior andadapted to occupy the recess 33, and an annular head portion 42.Suitable means may enga-ge the head portion to force it toward thecylinder head. For this purpose, I have indicated cap screws i3 passedthrough the head portion i2 and threaded into the cylinder head 3G.

When the bearing is put in place in the cyinder head and the compressingmember applied and its cap screws tightened the bearing becomes snuglyseated in the conical Iportion of the recess and also within the conicalportion of the ycompressing member. In such action the soft lining rings2i! make a tight seal on the piston rod while the soft external ring 2inearest the cylinder 3| makes a tight seal with the cylinder head.

Now as the internal rings Zii become worn from the friction of thereciprocating piston rod such Wear can be readily taken up by tighteningthe cap screws 43, which by pushing the clamping member inwardly alongthe conical surface of the bearing slightly contracts the bearing andsqueezes the soft metal shims in the longitudinal slots so that some ofthe inner portion oi 'these shims passes into the internal grooves I3and I4 replenishing the supply of packing metal therein. Thus thebearing is caused to maintain a snug connection with the piston rod. Atthe same time the external packing metal 2l :maintains a seal with thecylinder head.

It will be seen from the above description that my bearing not onlyseals, internally and externally, the rod or shaft and the cylinder heador other carrying member at the time of installation of the bearing, butthat the provision of packing material in the longitudinal slots and.the conical means for compressing the same provides for the replacementas necessary of worn packing material by the simple expedient oftightening the fastening screws and without the necessity ofdisassembling the parts.

I have provided a simple economical method for the manufacture of myimproved bearing, as follows:

I take a comparatively thick-walled sleeve of proper material, forinstance, brass, for the body of the bearing, such sleeve beingcylindrical on the interior and also on the exterior, such originalexterior surface being indicated by the broken lines X in Fig. 1. I slotthis sleeve by saw cuts from one end of the sleeve passing nearly to theopposite end to provide half of the slots. Then from the opposite end Imake saw cuts leading almost to the other end and located midway betweenthe successive slots from the first-mentioned end. There are an evennumber of these slots so that individual slots from either end are eachdiametrically opposite another similar slot, thus providing for thediametric sawing of the sleeve to provide two slots at one operation.

Following the slotting of the original sleeve I mount in each of theslots a shim of soft packing metal such as babbitt, such shim snuglytting the slot. I then machine off the exterior of the body `and shimsto produce the double conical shape. Then I form the external groovesmentioned and the grooves for the interior packing. After thecircumferential grooves have been made I mount the babbitt or other softpacking material in all of the grooves.

I claim:

1. A bearing comprising a longitudinally slotted sleeve, packingmaterial in the longitudinal slots, a circumferential groove in thebearing, packing material in said groove in communication with thematerial in the slots, and means for compressing the sleeve to cause thematerial in the slots to replenish the circumferential packing material.

2. A bearing comprising a longitudinally slotted sleeve, packingmaterial in said longitudinal slots, a circumferential groove in theinterior of the sleeve, packing material in the groove in communicationwith the material in the slots, and means for compressing the sleeve tocause thematerial in the slots to replenish the circumferential packingmaterial.

3. In a bearing, the combination of an openended sleeve substantiallycylindrical on the interior, said sleeve being slotted alternately fromopposite ends by slots terminating short of the other end, shims of softmaterial in the slots, a circumferential groove in the sleeve and softpacking material in the circumferential groove contacting with thematerial in the slots.

4. In a bearing, the combination of an openended sleeve substantiallycylindrical on the interior and having a conical exterior, said sleevebeing longitudinally slotted by a plurality of parallel slots, shims ofsoft material in the slots, a

circumferential groove in the interior of the sleeve and soft packingmaterial in the circumferential grooves contacting with the material inthe slots.

5. A bearing comprising a barrel flaring outwardly from opposite endstoward the center to produce two conical frustums, said barrel beinglongitudinally slotted alternately from' opposite ends. a`circumferential groove on the interior of the barrel, a circumferentialgroove on the exterior of the barrel, soft packing metal in the twocircumferential grooves and also in the longitudinal slots, a conicalsocket formed to receive one of the conical portions of the barrel and aconical compressing member formed to act against the other portion ofthe barrel.

6. The combination with a rod to be packed of a tubular bearing thereforand a recessed member providing a seat for the bearing, said bearingcomprising a barrel with a double conical exterior flaring from each endtoward the central region, said seat being conical to receive one of theconical portions of the barrel, a packing member comprising a sleevehaving a conical interior to coact with the other conical portion of thebarrel, there being a head on said sleeve and means coacting with thehead to force the sleeve into the member having the seat, said barrelbeing slotted alternately from opposite ends and being circumferentiallygrooved internally and externally, a soft metallic packing material inthe slots and in the grooves, whereby the barrel may make a bearing forsaid rod and be sealed about the rod by reason of the internal packingmaterial, and be sealed in said recessed member by reason of theexternal packing material, said material in the slots forming areservoir of packing material adapted to replenish the circumferentialmaterial when the clamping member is tightened.

'7. A bearing comprising a sleeve slotted longitudinally and having acircumferential groove in its surface, and shims of soft metal similarto babbitt in said slots and similar material in the groove whereby whenthe sleeve is compressed the material in the longitudinal slots willreplenish that in the circumferential groove.

8. In a bearing, the combination of an openended sleeve substantiallycylindrical on its interior, said sleeve being slotted alternately fromopposite ends by slots terminating short of the other end, acircumferential groove in the interior of the sleeve communicating withthe 1ongitudinal slots and soft metal in the slots and groove wherebythe material in the slots may replenish that in the groove when thesleeve is compressed.

AUGUST H. HEINRICH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 403,808 Weatherburn May 21, 1889558,236 Thom'as et al Apr. 14, 1896 1,995,548 Mermigis Mar. 26, 19352,012,826 Montgomery Aug. 27, 1935 2,289,703 Goerke et al July 14, 19422,356,027 Boyd et al Aug. 15, 1944 2,423,868 Bishop July 15, 1947

